3.0 is now Live in the US. Aion is now Truely Free. Yes, 100% of the game content is absolutely free with zero limits for free players. Pay site is purely aesthetic items and buffs.
Press Release with relaunched website (For US F2P):
HERE
Read up, looks like a lot of good stuff if you ever enjoyed Aion.
The EU and US F2P systems are different and ran by different companies. See my post HERE for more information!
I have no idea if EU players will be able to finagle some US accounts to play there, but it appears (In my view anyway) that the US F2P system is
far better as it doesn't block off any content until you spend money like the EU. The whole game is playable in its entirety in the US when it goes F2P. I'll update with a date when it happens.
Welcome to AionDo PA duders play? Not so much anymore...
If someone wants to update me with current PA player info I can put it here but right not it seems like the remaining folks who
do play are scattered about on the wind.
There are only 4 NA servers (2 West, 2 East) now but there is still no central PA server, so just go wherever you feel like. Ask here if there's anyone active playing on a particular server if you desire.
I guess there are 5 NA servers if you count the Oceanic server but that's not really
North America now is it? It just happens to be on the server list for NA accounts. Damn Oceanicans. All up ins.
PA SERVER INFO:
THERE IS NO CURRENT PA PLAYER PRESENCE ON ANY GIVEN SERVER
Many Forumers are scattered about on various servers due to RL Friendships, etc. So feel free to ask if folks are on your server of preference; just keep in mind there will be no "official" PA presence there.
The monthly fee is $14.99
This is not a free to play game like Guild Wars. This is a full fledged MMO
So let me tell you some things about Aion:
Aion is NCSofts latest MMO, launching everywhere that isn't Asia on Sept 22, 2009. Why not Asia? Because those fuckers have had the game for like a year now.
Story
I'm just going to rip this shit straight from the main site.
Once connected by the Tower of Eternity, Atreia was sundered by an ancient cataclysm. On your journey to bring salvation to the world, your character will traverse the inner surface of Atreia, exploring lush lands, floating islands, chaotic voids, and many other amazing vistas.
Each half of the shattered world is inhabited by one of two playable divine factions: the Elyos and the Asmodians. Isolated by the Cataclysm that broke Atreia apart, each side has brooded for centuries on the catastrophic events of the past. Their hatred for each other has only intensified.
Many centuries after the Cataclysm, fragments of the destroyed Tower began to float mysteriously in the air, and investigations revealed unstable portals that opened into a dimension of darkness and wonder where fragments of the Tower drifted. This place was named the Abyss. Within the Abyss, the once-lost power of flight is now commonplace. The Abyss is where Elyos and Asmodians contend to fight an epic battle for supremacy.
As the Elyos and the Asmodians uncovered new, more stable portals to the Abyss, they encountered a primeval terror that they had known only in storybooks: the Balaur. Banished to an unknown dimension during the Cataclysm, the Balaur are the ancient enemy of all the peoples of Atreia. The Balaur's continual war on humanity led to Cataclysm. Now they have returned, the survival of both races and Atreia itself is more uncertain than ever.
There's a lot more to it than that and the level grind is chock full of in-game story and lore that is actually pretty neat if you take the time to read your quests and watch the cutscenes.
Gameplay
In the beginning there isn't a whole lot of trailblazing here as far as gameplay goes. It starts out as typical MMO fare with fedex quests, collect quests, kill x creature quests, etc. If you've played WoW or any recent MMO you will feel comfortable off the bat with the controls and feel of the gameworld.
Combat feels different enough from your typical MMO however. At first you'll have one or two abilities and it just seems like spam spam spam. But then you begin to get combo skills, reactive skills, chain skills,
badass skills and combat in Aion really begins to shine and stand out above what else is out there in the MMORPG genre. It feels considerably more like an action game and you are in for more control of your characters behavior and functioning in battles.
As if that weren't good enough, at level 10 you get
wings. So what, you may ask. I can fly in a lot of MMO's, you might say. Well, can you participate in full scale PvE
and PvP
and PvPvE while flying in those games? Yeah, I didn't think so. Aion takes flying to a whole new level and makes half the game completely centered around the fact that you are an ascended being that can fly and makes full use of the ability in various ways in both PvP and PvE.
Races
There are two races in Aion; representing the two different factions. Elyos and Asmodeans. You are not limited to classes between the races, each race can be any class.
Elyos -
The Elyos are a beautiful and radiant people. The Cataclysm separated them from the Asmodians and left them to thrive in a bountiful world bathed in golden light and starlight. Elyos are comforting, warm, and friendly, but against foes, they are not kindly or benevolent. The ascended forms of Elyos Daevas have stunning, angelic wings, and their immense strength belies their graceful appearance.
The splendor of the Elyos physical form and the colorful, fertile land the Elyos live in has also led them to become arrogant. The Elyos believe that they are blessed by Aion, while the Asmodians, cast into darkness by the Cataclysm, are seen by the Elyos as twisted and cursed creatures.
The Elyos occupy the lower half of Atreia, known as Elysea. Their capital city is Sanctum. The Elyos serve the five Seraphim Lords who guided them to safety when all seemed lost. The stump of the Tower of Eternity that stands on Elysea is known as the Tower of Light. It serves as a constant reminder to the Elyos people of the terrible mistake perpetuated by the Asmodian people and their Shedim Lords.
Asmodeans
The Asmodians are a brave and hardy people. The Cataclysm separated them from the Elyos and plunged them into a world of ice and darkness. To survive such desolation is one thing, but to thrive and prosper as the Asmodians did is quite another. Asmodian skin is pale or dusky, and their eyes have adapted to low light by gaining an otherworldly glow that is most pronounced during combat. Ascended Asmodian Daevas are blessed with strength and the ability to fly, and their feathered wings are dark in color.
Asmodians are generous and fiercely loyal to their own. Asmodians would sooner give their lives in battle than see the life of a comrade taken away. They do not think twice before fighting ferociously against outsiders, showing little or no mercy against Elyos especially.
Asmodians live in the upper half of Atreia, known as Asmodae. Their capital city is Pandaemonium. They follow the Shedim Lords, the five Empyrean Lords ordered by Siel and Israphel to protect the upper foundation of the Tower of Eternity, which is now known as the Tower of Darkness.
As usual the pinkys are the goodies and the darkies are the baddies.
I made this OP in the first place so I'm not stealing it.
Posts
Classes
There are 4 starting classes that differentiate at level 10 into 8 more classes (you can't remain a base class, sorry).
Warriors -> Templar or Gladiator
Scout -> Ranger or Assassin
Mage -> Sorcerer or Spiritualist
Priest -> Cleric or Chanter
Wat?
Ok. To break it down (stolen from Transporter, clicky for more info):
Best Description: Gilgamesh.
Alternate description: Mortal Strike Warrior who can wield a shitton of different weapons, but never a sheild, for that is not MANLY. Good armor, good offensive capabilities.
Templar
Best Description: YOU WILL HAVE ON IN YOUR GROUP
Alternate Description: Tank. Not really much else to be said.
Best description: HAAAHAHAHA FUCKYOU MAGES
Alternate Description: They shoot arrows to make people die, from a distance. Especially mages, ESPECIALLY mages. Can kite virtually anything down if you're good save for a Chanter or Templar due to their stupidly high armor/healing abilities.
Assassin
Best Description: CRAAWWLING IIN MY SKIIIIN, THESE WOOUNS THEY WILLL NOT HEAAAALLLLLL
Alternate description: A blend of WoW Rogues, and Final Fantasy XI's theif class. If you expose your back to them, you're fucked unless you're not a high armor class. Highest Meele DPS in the game, but also the most fragile.
Best description: HA I HOPE YOU HAVE BURN HEALS
ALternate Description: Glass Cannon. All is well with the world.
Spiritmaster:
Best Description: Wait this isn't FF XI
Alternate Description: A summoner, with dots like a warlock. Who can also turn into an Elemental and rapefuck anyone within a Twenty Mile radius.
Do you really have to ask, really? Healbitch, rolled by girlfreinds who are dragged into MMO's everywhere.
Chanter:
Best Description: YOU SPOONY BARD!
Alternate Description: A Priest, kind of, with a sheild, who loves to moonlight seedy bars on the weekend singing. Buffs/moderate heals all up ins.
Here are some videos:
These are nice little "podcasts" produced by NCSoft that both show off the pretty pretties and also give good information about the game as a whole. If you're curious about the game they are a must watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MyiwRy40YA
Podcast 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KQiXqOa_XY&
Podcast 3 (from today):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tII8Tl6T8KU
Want some screenshots? Well I'm just going to link you to the main site. They're quite good but they're embedded in the flash page.
Official NCSoft ZOMG PROPAGANDA Screenshots
Also check out the Interesting Screenshots thread right here in the MMO Forum; people post their pics often.
The game is quite probably the prettiest MMO on the block and your chracter will looks pretty damn nice even in the shittiest gear.
Speaking of that, and this is ultra cool: You can alter the look of any of your gear to match others. What? Say you have boots that are sweet but your chestplate looks like dogshit. Well, instead of looking like a clown like you do in many MMO's when you have mismatched gear, you can pay a fee to have all your gear conform to the style of the rest, while maintaining their stats and stuff. So there's no excuse for not looking badass.
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
I just had some gear crafted at 23 and if there was a slut stat then I think I would have just broken soft cap :winky:
At least the early armor actually looked like chain.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Yeah I went from a chain hauberk that looked like chain to a frilly revealing pink dress on my cleric.
So, Asmodians and Elyos, which have better looking women?
Ladies, you can jump on this too, which faction has better looking men? ( or women if that fits your preference )
Both the same except the asmos have claws and hairy backs. Also skin pigmentation ranges from purple to green on asmo and white to red on elyos.
I think..
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Elyos are hotter. Asmodians are sluttier.
We shall fight in Hoth, we shall fight on the spaceports
and the orbital stations, we shall fight with growing confidence
and growing strength in the instances, we shall defend our Republic,
whatever the cost may be.
We shall Re-Spawn on the beaches, we shall camp the landing grounds,
we shall PvP Flag in the fields and in the streets, we shall gank in the hills;
we shall never uninstall."
--Winston Churchwalker
Fixed that for you.
Yeah if you like back hair. I prefer my angelic perfection thank you very much.
Funny how quickly the community settled on the equivalent of a racial epithet to describe the emos.
Supposedly the Elyos are "sun-suckers," but that sounds like jealousy to me.
Was that community created like furbacks though? Thought it was in quest text somewheres.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Hit 22 on my temp the other day but haven't had a chance to play much since then. I spent most of yesterday getting my gathering from 65 to 99 and then leveling up alchemy to 40(ish). I don't think I'm going to bother with many more crafting professions
So I did armorsmithing 101-150 today, because I had just hit 23. Quite the grind. Got 4 Worthy recipes out of it, set me back about 120k, Made 2 of those worthy items for my chanter (No mats for 3rd, those High-Grade Aether crystals are a pain).
At least I can just farm mats for 5 more levels, till the next spike.
I also found out that you got to time your attacks around your autoswings, because the autoswing timer is delayed during specials. I wonder if you can easily macro that, and I also wonder if it makes shield/mace more attractive for chanters, because the autoswing interval is shorter. (So less waiting)
Besides, staff-fu. C'mon now.
Steam
CorriganX on Steam and just about everywhere else.
Yes macroing can make things a LOT more effective. I have a macro set up to run through my two chains twice, and most mobs my level up to +2 are usually dead or near dead by the end.
Protip: use the "/Quickbar x y z" command for abilities on your hotbar or things that auto-chain from those abilities. This saves a lot of characters to make your macro longer instead of having to type the full skill names.
my current macro is: I have hallowed strike on number 2 and meteor strike on number 3. Note that the only ability I used the /Skill command for was the one that doesn't auto-chain after hallowed strike. Using a staff with 2.0 attack speed and the "/Delay 2" each ability activation PERFECTLY cuts the end of the auto-attack animation while still giving all the damage.
Then what mistake was made?
Anyone else use a setup like this?
*edit* If it is, im totally buying it. I was going to buy it as soon as i got home but i read one review that was basically "This game is exactly like WoW". Only one review said that, the rest were singing its praises. But now im thinking maybe that guys as jaded as me, and the rest of the people are still wearing their rose colored glasses, considering how new the game is.
Check out my band, click the banner.
I think it's awesome. It was $60 per million at launch and now it's pocket change. Just shows how little we're willing to put up with their shit and the fact that NC is actually taking measures to make this work harder for them, making them increasingly desperate. America ain't like Korea, you bitches! We don't turn a blind eye for subscription numbers!
This game is the bastard child of WoW and Lineage 2 with elements from other MMOs in there, and polished to look beautiful enough to make you wet yourself. But, it's still an MMO and that is not going to change.
We shall fight in Hoth, we shall fight on the spaceports
and the orbital stations, we shall fight with growing confidence
and growing strength in the instances, we shall defend our Republic,
whatever the cost may be.
We shall Re-Spawn on the beaches, we shall camp the landing grounds,
we shall PvP Flag in the fields and in the streets, we shall gank in the hills;
we shall never uninstall."
--Winston Churchwalker
When do Spirit Masters get their first pet? I figured it'd be right around the time you choose the class, but I haven't found anything about it yet.
Aion is a fun MMO, but if you don't like MMOs that isn't going to matter.
they do at 10, but you have to pick up the skill manual from the mage trainer in the capitol city first.
You most certainly do not want to get this game if that's how you feel. As was mentioned above... it's a mixture of WOW and Lineage 2... and it's less forgiving then WOW when it comes to leveling. The big appeal is that it's more world PVP focused in the end game portion.
I tell friends that if they are happy with WOW or their MMO of choice... they won't find much to gain by jumping into Aion. But for those bored with WOW and wanting something new (new, not different) to give it a try.
Might just be the huge hard-on I have for angels, but Aion's got a lot of soul to it- which I personally found lacking in both WoW and WAR.
Okay, that's it.
*turns to the others* I'm gonna rip this guy a new asshole, okay?
*turns back to Zeon*
Stop being a fucking idiot! Of course this thing is like other MMOs because it's a fucking MMO! You might be to brain damaged from tossing your head around like an epileptic seizure on crack pretending to be an actual rock star on stage to notice but all MMOs are the SAME FUCKING GAME! Different models, different quests, different settings, but the same goddamn mother fucking game! Auto-attacks, skills, experience based leveling, PvP! That's the shit you can expect from any MMO on the market! You're an MMO gamer and you don't know that?! No, I think you do know that because you did so much "research" on this game by reading those reviews.
Hey guys! You remember that Aion review we linked here that was nothing more than a social commentary on the bullshittyness of MMOs in general? Yeah? Maybe if this guy had read it he would be able to tell that Aion is a FUCKING MMO and they're all the same!
Look here pal, stop being so thick headed. You don't like WoW. You don't like Lineage 2. So what the fuck made you think you would like this?! Because you can be an Asmodian emo freak douchbag walking around with your hard core rocker makeup to make yourself look like you have huge fucking eyebags and those talons that look like those talon rings you can buy 3 for ten bucks at Hot Topic?!
Oooh, I'm so jaded, I'm too jaded to be tricked by polish because I'm jaded and cool and cynical. Bullshit, you're just saying that you are sick and tired of MMOs but you're too stupid to realize it's a game genra that you don't enjoy. Go back to Counter Strike, that's an online game that's not a fucking MMO! Maybe you'll enjoy that you teabagging fuck!
Get your shit together or get the fuck out!
We shall fight in Hoth, we shall fight on the spaceports
and the orbital stations, we shall fight with growing confidence
and growing strength in the instances, we shall defend our Republic,
whatever the cost may be.
We shall Re-Spawn on the beaches, we shall camp the landing grounds,
we shall PvP Flag in the fields and in the streets, we shall gank in the hills;
we shall never uninstall."
--Winston Churchwalker
CostanzaK, dude, we all get annoyed by stupid questions. I think you may need to chill down a bit though.
I think Costanza has an opinion on this matter.
I'm not sure though.
It was quite obvious that he had no future in Aion and that he was yanking himself around just as much as us. That kind of self delusion is insulting and abhorrent to me. Reminded me of every single thing I dislike about humanity rolled up into a single post edit. And my patience snapped like a pencil at the bottom of a book bag.
I know I shouldn't have done it. I don't plan on doing it again. But I sure as heck don't regret doing it.
We shall fight in Hoth, we shall fight on the spaceports
and the orbital stations, we shall fight with growing confidence
and growing strength in the instances, we shall defend our Republic,
whatever the cost may be.
We shall Re-Spawn on the beaches, we shall camp the landing grounds,
we shall PvP Flag in the fields and in the streets, we shall gank in the hills;
we shall never uninstall."
--Winston Churchwalker